Preoperative Education

More information means better outcomes.

The Patient Education Department offers a wealth of preoperative information and resources for patients undergoing spine surgery, total hip replacements, total knee replacements, hip resurfacing and total shoulder replacements. The patient pre-op educational resources listed below are meant to help you prepare mentally and physically for surgery, as well as the aftercare and postoperative rehabilitation. HSS offers written, illustrated and animated tools, as well as live classes and live online webinars.

Pre-Op Education Classes and Webinars

Classes and webinars are taught by registered nurses in collaboration with physical therapists and social work case managers. They provide an overview of what to expect when having surgery at HSS, including detailed information on:

Exercises pertaining to your specific surgery.

What to bring on the day of surgery and what to expect on the morning of surgery.

Recovery and pain management.

Live classes are generally scheduled by your surgeon’s office to take place on your pre-op testing day. We encourage you to invite friends or family who might assist during recovery.

Patients scheduled for total joint replacement or spine surgery can choose to attend a pre-op education webinar instead of an in-person class. Please contact the HSS Patient Preoperative Education department at 212.606.1263 for more information and scheduling options.

While we don’t offer classes for every type of surgery, the Patient Education department has developed many guides and books, including the award-winning “Your Pathway to Recovery” series. These are reference tools designed to help guide the patient and family throughout one's recovery. Please feel free to click on the link that pertains to your surgery for more information.

Your Pathway to Recovery: Patient Guides

Orthopedic Surgery Animations

Spine Animations

Pre-Op Education Staff

Jack Davis, MSN, RN, ONC; Manager of Patient Education and Research

Jack has been an orthopedic nurse at HSS since 1980. He has provided care on the in-patient units, PACU and in private office setting. He has been a board certified orthopedic nurse since 1991. In his current role as Manager of Patient Education Programs, Jack has guided his team to revise the preoperative education content and delivery while promoting the use of the internet to increase access to educational materials that will help prepare patients and their families for surgery.

Joan Altman, MPH, BSN, RN; Community Program Coordinator

Joan has been a public health nurse for more than 30 years, providing hands-on care as well as training and education to diverse populations within the City of New York. In her current role as RN Community Program Coordinator, she provides health education to HSS community partners and coaches HSS nurses to teach and deliver quality presentations. Joan believes that the health of NYC residents can be impacted by enhancing their health literacy.

Lisa Briskie, BSN, RN, ONC; Patient Educator

Lisa has been working at HSS since 1984. With 2 Bachelor of Science degrees in Health and in Nursing, she started her career here on the inpatient units and then moved on to work in Utilization Review and in the private office setting. She has been working in the Patient Education Department since 1996. Board Certified in Orthopaedic Nursing, Lisa believes that education and patient participation in their perioperative course leads to a smooth and easy recovery.

Daniella Immediato, MSN, RN, ONC; Patient Educator

Daniella has been working at Hospital for Special Surgery since 2006. After completing her nurse residency, she was given the opportunity to work in multiple areas in the hospital, PACU, SDU, and two inpatient units. Daniella's experience and knowledge have allowed her to fully understand the patient's hospital experience. Both at the bedside and classroom, she enjoys providing high quality patient-centered education, navigating the hospital journey. Daniella believes patient education is vital to a patients satisfaction and success.